Vial attachment to prevent needle sticks

ABSTRACT

A clear protective disc shield that attaches to vial that protect medical personnel hand from being injured and contamination of the needle. The protective disc shield has a circular orifice that effectuates attachment of the disc shield to a vial for the dispensing of medicine or other material. The disc shield is designed so that any contact between the needle and the upper surface of the shield will guide the needle to the circular orifice and further prevents the needle from slipping of the disc shield. The disc shield further has a smooth underside and edges to prevent scratching and other injuries to the user.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention is a shield to be used with a receptacle with a pierce-able membrane from which liquid medicine is to be withdrawn.

Medical personnel give hundreds of shots daily. In order to give these shots medical personnel must stick a needle into a vial equipped with pierce-able membrane in order to draw the medicine into the syringe. Frequently, the medical personnel will inadvertently stick themselves with the sharp needle resulting in injury to themselves and contamination of the needle or the medicine. The protective shield in this invention covers the medical personnel hand in order to both prevent injuries to the person and contamination of the needle or the medicine.

The shield is a circular or other appropriate shape device that clasps to the top of the medication vial. Shield is an appropriate size and shape to completely cover medical personnel's hand to prevent injuries to the person and contamination of the needle or the medicine. An orifice is in the center of the shield that allows the needle to safely pierce the membrane and allow the transfer of the medicine with out harm to medical personnel and without any contamination. The shield has a smooth sloped edge surface that is angled to help guide the needle into the above said orifice to more efficiently effectuate the transfer of the medicine. The shield has a raised edge on the top portion to prevent the needle from slipping off the shield to prevent injuries. The shield has a smooth surface on the bottom portion to prevent scratching medical personnel.

BACKGROUND—DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Injuries from sharp implements such as syringe needles are particularly dangerous to health and medical personnel who run the risk of exposure to disease. Avoidance of contracting communicable diseases such as Hepatitis-B and AIDS are of special concern to medical personnel. These diseases can be communicated to medical personnel as a result of an accidental injury when handling a contaminated needle.

Two types of devices have emerged to help medical personnel avoid inadvertently sticking themselves with sharp needle resulting in injury to themselves and contamination of the needle or the medicine. The first-type of protective device is a hand guard similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,406 to Fowler (2004). The second-type of protective devices are complicated syringe holders similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,105 to Rolle (2002).

Fowler Patent is a hand guard that attaches directly to medical personnel's hand. Fowler Patent while protecting medical personnel from inadvertently sticking themselves with the sharp needle resulting in injury to themselves and contamination of the needle or the medicine is bulking and reduce freedom of movement of the medical personnel. In addition to bulkiness and restriction of movement of the device it must be fitted to medical personnel's hand. The device further takes time away from medical personnel to put and take off the device.

Rolle Patent describes a holder that attaches directly to a receptacle. Rolle Patent holder is complicated consisting of two separate housing. The first housing is used to attach the receptacle while the second housing has two channels to allow for the withdrawal of material from the receptacle. The second housing is very complicated and despite the teaching of Rolle Patent is unnecessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is designed to provide a compromise between the simple hand guard, Fowler Patent, and vial holder, Rolle Patent. This invention is easy to produce, simple to use by medical personnel, not time consuming to put on, and still protect medical personnel from inadvertently sticking themselves with the sharp needles that result in injury to themselves and contamination of the needle. Additionally, the current invention offers increase in sterility that may occur between the vial and the syringe during the medication transfer process, particularly when medical personnel deem it necessary to refill the syringe. The device is also non-complicated for the user and features significant reduction in set-up time and efficiency of use over the current technology. The safety of the medical personnel is primary means for the invention and offers a marked reduction in the prevention of sharps injuries for staff by reducing the potential for exposures when utilizing a multi-dose vial in comparison with Rolle Patent. The current device accomplishes the above task without the need for a locking hub syringe system like shown in Rolle Patent. A locking hub syringe system requires the user to fill a syringe via a vial with an attaching locking needle hub, recap the needle, then remove the locking needle hub, and finally reattach the syringe to the Rolle device for a refill. The current invention allows for direct insertion into the vial and for reinsertion if a refill of the syringe is needed, therefore reducing the steps by half and reducing the opportunity for contaminated sharps injuries that is possible during each of those steps. In the present invention, a shield made from plastic or other appropriate material is described.

More particularly, the shield is a clear device, for an increased view of the medication vial, that is of appropriate size and shape to extend over the majority of the user's hand and fingers and is thick enough to provide adequate protection to the user. The shield has a raised edge about its outer circumference that prevents the needle from slipping off the shield and injuring the user. The shield has a smooth and flat surface that directs the needle to the center orifice and thus into the pierce-able membrane opening of the medicine vial.

This center orifice of the disc shield is used to attach the medication vial to the shield via a clasp with serrated teeth on the underside of the shield. The center orifice also enables access to the pierce-able membrane of the medication vial and this opening is of sufficient size and has a sloped edge to help align the pierce-able membrane of the medication vial.

These and other advantages and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof, will be more fully understood from the following descriptions and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Drawing Figures

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of the preferred shied design of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a blown-up of the top view of the preferred shield without the center orifice of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a blown-up view of the center orifice of the preferred shield of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows the major advantage of this invention a clear shield that allows the user to see through the shield to effectively and safely withdraw medicine or other liquid from a vial. The device shown in FIG. 2 is a circular disc shield 1 with a diameter between 6 to 12 centimeters so as to extend over the majority hand and fingers of the user. The circular disc shield 1 has thickness between 1 to 5 millimeters to ensure that the needle does not penetrate through the device and into the user's hand or fingers. The circular disc shield 1 is smooth and flat which allows a missed directed needle that contacts the shield to be directed into the center orifice and thus into the pierce-able opening of the medication vial 12. In addition, the circular disc shield 1 has a raised edge (sharps lip) 5 that runs the circumference of the disc. The raised edge 5 extends 2 to 6 millimeters from the surface of the disc and is between 1 to 3 millimeters in width. The raised edge 5 inhibits the needle from slipping off from the shield and thus making contact with the hand that is holding the medication and shield. The outer rim 6 of the disc shield 1 is smooth in order to prevent scratching users.

FIG. 3. shows the center of the disc shield which is the opening, orifice, or port 3 that enables access to the pierce-able membrane of the medication vial 12. The orifice 3 is between 4 to 12 millimeters in diameter and aligns with the pierce-able membrane of the medication vial 12. The disc shield 1 attaches to the medication vial 12 via this center orifice 3 from the underside of the disc shield 1. About the circumference of the center orifice is a sloped edge 4. The slope edge 4 is angled toward the center of the orifice to assist in the directing or guiding the needle of the medication transfer device to the center orifice 3 and then through the pierce-able membrane 13. The sloped edges 4 of circular orifice 3 are tapered to guide the needle into the medication opening as described above. The underside of the disc shield 7 is smooth, flat, and leads to a circular clasp 8 that attaches to the underside of the disc shield 7 and is aligned with the center orifice 3. The medication vial attachment clasp 8 extends between 6 to 20 millimeters from the undersides of the disc shield 7 and provides the means to attach the medication vial 12 to the shield 1. The clasp 8 has serrated teeth 9 that briefly extend past the lip of the medication vial 12 and fit taught with the edge of the medication vial 12 outer edge. The insides of the serrated teeth 9 consist of hooks 10 that form the clasp mechanism needed for a secure attachment of the medication vial 12. The width of the hook 10 is between 1 to 5 millimeters while the depth on the inside of the hook 10 is also between 1 to 5 millimeters in length. The serrated teeth 9 are made of a material that allows calculated expansion yet a firm fit to the medication vial 12. The serrated teeth 9 fit along the parameter of the medication vial 12 with slotted tips that are such a length as to extend past the base of the vial neck 11 and that hook 10 are placed about the circumference of the medication vial top (neck) 11. The interior of the clasp 8 allows the medication vial neck 11 to slide in place on the top of the medication vial 12 and allows access to the pierce-able membrane 13. Additionally the friction fit allows for such a connection that the medication vial 12 may be used as a handle for the user to grasp and position the vial 12 with the disc shield 1.

In the preferred embodiment a clear plastic material is used however other material maybe used with out departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In view of the above detailed description of the present invention and associated drawings, other modifications and variations will now become apparent to those skilled in the art. It should be apparent that such other modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. An apparatus to protect the user while withdrawing a liquid medicament from a receptacle which is provided with a pierce-able membrane comprising: a shield of appropriate shape and size to protect the users hands and finger, wherein the shield has a circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle.
 2. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic.
 3. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and is between 6 and 12 cm in diameter.
 4. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and is between 6 and 12 cm in diameter and is between 1 and 5 cm in thickness.
 5. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic where the circumference has an edge that extends above the disc shield.
 6. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic where the circumference has an edge that extends 2 to 6 millimeter above the disc shield and is from 1 to 3 millimeters in width.
 7. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and both sides are smooth.
 8. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic where the circumference has an edge that extends above the disc shield where both sides and the edge are smooth.
 9. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice is between 4 to 12 millimeters in diameter.
 10. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice has a sloped edge that is angled towards the center.
 11. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice has a sloped edge that is angled towards the center and is between 4 to 12 millimeters in diameter.
 12. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle has serrated teeth that extend past the lip of the medication.
 13. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle has serrated teeth that extend between 6 to 20 millimeters from the underside of the shield.
 14. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle has serrated teeth that extend past the lip of the medication wherein the serrated teeth have a hook.
 15. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle has serrated teeth that extend past the lip of the medication wherein the serrated teeth have a hook and the hook is between 1 to 5 millimeters in length and width.
 16. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and the circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle has serrated teeth that extend between 6 to 20 millimeters from the underside of the shield wherein the serrated teeth have a hook and the hook is between 1 to 5 millimeters in length and width.
 17. The apparatus in claim 1 where the shield is circular and made of plastic and is between 6 and 12 cm in diameter and is between 1 and 5 cm in thickness; the circumference has an edge that extends 2 to 6 millimeter above the disc shield and is from 1 to 3 millimeters in width and both upper and lower sides of the shield, as well as, the edge are smooth; the circular orifice has a sloped edge that is angled towards the center and is between 4 to 12 millimeters in diameter; and the circular orifice that is used to attach said shield to the receptacle has serrated teeth that extend between 6 to 20 millimeters from the underside of the shield wherein the serrated teeth have a hook and the hook is between 1 to 5 millimeters in length and width. 